Virtual production is the practice of combining virtual worlds with the real world to create exciting and beautiful film productions.

Virtual production covers a number of different techniques and uses many tools and methods.

We’ll go over some of the aspects of virtual production, some examples of ways it has been used, where the future lies for the technique, and how you can get involved.

Techniques of Virtual Production

The most popular style of virtual production involves using virtual game worlds as part of film production. The way this is done is by combining the virtual world and the real world, usually in real-time, in order to speed up production and create realistic visuals.

Using many different sets in a movie can be expensive, especially if the production needs to travel to reach them. With virtual production, these sets can be created in virtual space much more easily.

Plus, virtual sets can be quickly modified for layout, lighting, and more. The many different sets of a film can then be filmed in just one studio outfitted with a video screen that brings virtual spaces into the real world.

The video screens used in video production are large – much much larger than your average TV. They often span entire walls or multiple, and some studios even use one on the virtual ‘sky’.

These virtual sets are rendered in real-time with tools like Unreal Engine and Unity. These tools allow the studio to track the camera’s movement, and change the view in real-time, making the screens appear in perfect perspective.

By combining real and virtual worlds, directors can create a wide range of scenes, even fantastical worlds for sci-fi and fantasy productions. These shots are designed to be ready to use without needing to use techniques like a blue screen, which often produces less natural-looking shots.

With a well-thought-out virtual set, the background blends seamlessly into the real world, making for extremely convincing locations without having to even leave the studio.

This also has the benefit of making the world more realistic for actors. Even the best of actors are challenged when forced to act in empty blue rooms.

With virtual production, the actors are able to feel much more immersed in the world they are acting within, helping them give their best performance.

Similar techniques have actually been used in films for a long time, though with a simpler setup. In older movies, the background was projected on a screen behind the actors.

This was a common technique for things like driving scenes, where the background is not as important.

This older technique came with some limitations that virtual production helps to eliminate, such as the need for actors to avoid blocking the projected backdrop.

Other techniques that may also fall under virtual production include facial capture, motion capture (mocap) augmented reality, and more. In addition, the industry is constantly finding new ways to adapt film productions to new technology.

Why Is Virtual Production Becoming So Popular?

Virtual production has become increasingly popular in recent years, and will only continue to see more and more use. Just what makes virtual production such a popular tool?

One of the biggest reasons for this popularity is simply how advanced the technology involved has become. Real-time rendering technology has become increasingly realistic looking, and screens have become larger, sharper, and cheaper.

The simple fact is that virtual production on the large scale was simply not possible only a few years ago!

Another reason is the large number of productions being made every year. Hundreds of shows and movies are being made every year, and the standards of quality remain high.

Studios are always trying to push the visuals of their films while also keeping a reasonable budget. Virtual production helps to save time and money making it much easier for studios to reach their targets.

For these reasons and more, virtual production is a win-win for everyone. It makes films more affordable for studios, it makes production more versatile for creators, and it makes beautiful final products for fans to enjoy.

What Are The Downsides of Virtual Production?

We’ve covered the benefits of virtual production, but there are some downsides as well.

Firstly, virtual production is not going to work for every shot in every movie. For example, this technique is not ideal for shots requiring a lot of movement, as the camera can’t move beyond the video screens.

It is also not as viable for smaller spaces like interiors, though it can be used.

Another area where virtual production presents problems is post-production. While it can cut down on the visual effects workload, it also lacks flexibility once the footage has been shot. The design of CG elements will not be able to be as easily changed later on as they would be with a blue screen.

Another downside to virtual production is it can be very expensive for smaller productions. While there are some DIY ways to use virtual production, these don’t offer the same versatility as industry-level equipment.

Smaller movie studios can’t always justify the costs of the equipment required.

The Future of Virtual Production

Virtual production has proved to be a very useful tool in recent years, and things are only going to get better.

Live rendering technology is only getting better, as seen in many recent video games.

Techniques like ray tracing are now becoming quicker and easier to be rendered in real-time, allowing for even more convincing virtual worlds, and thus more convincing virtual productions.

Another future potential is the growing availability of virtual production tools. Just think that 40 years ago, digital cameras were restricted only to the most high-tech science labs, and now we all carry high-def digital cameras in our pockets.

Things like LED walls may become even less expensive, allowing smaller productions and even hobbyists to get involved.

Finally, there are many more potential uses for new technology in virtual production. For example, the process could be extended into audio, with entire soundscapes being played out in real time.

Maybe in the future, films will be fully virtual affairs, in which little or no post-production is required.

Another future could see AI technology being used to quickly generate realistic sets in no time at all. It may seem far-fetched, but we may even one day see the rise of convincing robotic actors in Hollywood!

Getting Involved in Virtual Production

Virtual production is a pretty multifaceted process, and there are numerous different roles involved. Virtual environment artists must first create the world of the film. This will usually be done with the direction of the art department.

If you know anything about video game development you know that building a virtual world is no small task, and can require many artists including modelers, animators, and even programmers.

Roles

On the film set itself nearly everyone can be involved in a virtual production. However, the most involved would be people like the cinematographer and director of photography. There is also a need for technicians on set who set up the virtual production equipment and ensure it’s working properly.

Education

If you’re interested in working with virtual production, you could attempt to get an industry position, which may require an education in the field.

If you choose to pursue an education you should first decide which area you are interested in working on, be it set design, filmography, or something else. From there, you will need to apply for roles at film studios that are looking to use virtual productions on their films.

Though there are many roles available now, jobs involving virtual production will only become more common as the years go on.

Tutorials

If you aren’t interested in taking the “professional” route, it’s easier than ever to use virtual assets in DIY productions. For example, with a toolbox of free-to-use software like Blender, Unreal Engine, and Davinci Resolve you could begin experimenting with virtual production on your own projects.

There are hundreds of tutorials online to get you started with these tools, and the skills you learn may even help you to get a job in the industry after all.

Be it on the big screen or just your own projects, there is a lot of potential in the future of virtual production, and it is a very exciting and powerful new tool for all kinds of productions!

A lot of the beauty and appeal in modern games comes down to a less quantifiable factor: Atmosphere.

Atmosphere, when done right, can turn the bundle of programming, art, and sound that we call a video game into something so much more than the sum of its parts.

Though it is easily overlooked, especially for newer devs focused more on the nitty-gritty of game development, the atmosphere is a crucial component for any successful release.

In this article, we will cover the basics of game atmosphere, so you can better appreciate it in the games you play, and improve the atmosphere of the games you create.

What Is Game Atmosphere?

When we talk about a game’s ‘atmosphere’, we don’t mean things like virtual clouds. In fact, ‘atmosphere’ is no single thing in itself.

Rather, the ‘atmosphere’ of any game is a combination of many things: art, sound, post-processing effects, story, dialogue, and more.

The best way to understand the atmosphere may be through an example. Compare two games Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring. Both are open-world action-adventure games with fantasy elements and similar mechanics.

Yet both give off very different feelings, owing in large part to their unique atmospheres.

Breath of the Wild features picturesque natural environments, whimsical characters, vibrant colors, and perky sound effects. All of this creates a more lighthearted fantasy world.

We feel the desire to protect this beautiful world and the characters we meet, playing nicely with the game’s story.

Elden Ring on the other hand has a darker atmosphere. The game features edgier imagery, corrupted natural environments, hostile characters, and realistic sound effects.

Overall, it is a more moody atmosphere that lends a sense of dread, and this goes along nicely with the hostile game mechanics players will be up against.

In this example, neither game has a better atmosphere than the other. Rather, each game is made great by a purposeful use of atmosphere that helps to communicate the developers’ vision for the world and how the player should feel about it. This is the power of the game atmosphere.

‘Atmosphere’ vs ‘Game-Feel’

In game development, there is also another closely related concept of ‘game-feel’.

While both ‘game-feel’ and atmosphere are important and affect how the player feels about a game, ‘game-feel’ tends to be more about the moment-to-moment experience of playing a game and the way a player interacts with the world.

Atmosphere on the other hand is more all-encompassing and abstract.

Why Is It Important For Games To Have An Atmosphere?

Game atmosphere can do a lot to improve the overall impression of your game, so it’s important to make it a part of your game.

On the other hand, a lack of atmosphere, or an atmosphere that is at odds with the game’s mechanical and narrative design can be off-putting to players and lead to poor reception.

It’s also important to consider that the bar for video games is being set ever higher, even for indies. That means players have come to expect a certain level of polish in games. If you release a game with no atmosphere, players will notice something ‘off’, even if they aren’t sure what.

A game with a good atmosphere feels alive, making it much easier for the player to feel immersed. This has many positive benefits. It makes the player invested in the world, making them more likely to continue playing and to make great memories of the game.

It makes the game into more than just a game, but into an emotional experience.

A game with a bad atmosphere can be distracting and take the player out of the game. In the worst case, a poor atmosphere can even end up diminishing work you’ve done in other areas, sabotaging your player’s impression of other aspects like the story or gameplay.

How To Design Your Game Atmosphere

Atmosphere in game design is the sum of many parts. For this reason, it can actually be a complex task to really nail the atmosphere you are going for, even if you have a good idea of what that is. If you don’t have a clear game atmosphere in mind – good luck!

For these reasons, you should consider your game’s atmosphere from the very start. Having a clear idea of the atmosphere will help guide your decisions through the entire project, and help you to tie your atmosphere more closely to the other elements of your game.

Here are some things to consider when deciding your game’s atmosphere, sorted into the different categories that go into game development.

Graphics

Visuals are obviously a major part of games, and these may be the biggest area where your atmosphere will be developed. Things like color palettes, textures, and lighting all help to build a mood, as well as animation and how things in your world move and interact.

Another big part of the atmosphere in games is the weather and particle effects. Is your world stormy and moody, or bright and sunny? Is there a fog obscuring hidden threats, or is the level in clear view for easy puzzle-solving?

Finally, post-processing is a small thing that can make a big difference. Effects like bloom, motion blur, and lens artifacts can add that extra bit of polish to your project.

Sound

Game sound will probably be the second most important factor in the atmosphere of your game. Ideally, your player should be able to close their eyes and hear what kind of world they are in.

Imagine how a realistic shooter like Battlefield would feel with cartoon sound effects. While it may be humorous for a moment, after long enough it would get grating. On the other hand, a game like Super Mario Odyssey benefits a lot from more cartoonish sounds and might feel empty with more realistic sounds.

Music (or the lack of music) can be another big factor. A good score can raise tension, create a sense of security, or even play a narrative role through the use of recurring motifs.

Finally, ambient sound can be a great way to make your world feel alive. Adding this detail to your game will make the world come alive even in quiet moments.

Story, Dialogue, and Characters

Atmosphere and story have a very important relationship, often helping to accentuate one another. The types of things that happen in your game world, as well as the beings that live, should feel in line with the overall vibe of the world itself

Characterization can be a big aspect here as well. A great example of this is the FPS-puzzler Portal. The game features very few characters who are mostly heard through voiceover and whom we can’t interact with.

Despite this, the main antagonist GLaDOS has become one of the most beloved and memorable characters in gaming, and really helped to set the mysterious and brooding mood of Aperture Science, all thanks to expert voice acting and writing.

Gameplay

Finally, gameplay should not be seen as a separate element from the atmosphere. The way the player interacts with the world is going to shape their impression of it.

If your world is easy to navigate and motion feels fluid, the game will feel very different from a world where even simple tasks present much resistance. Is the game simplistic and easy to understand, or are mechanics obscure and complicated?

All of this can add to the atmosphere.

A great example of this is the game Death Stranding. Though often humorously described as a ‘walking simulator’ this is actually a major element in driving the game’s atmosphere.

The player has to always be paying attention to the world rather than just breezing through, and this helps them to really feel the severity and danger of the game’s setting.

Examples of Games With Good Atmospheres

Many of the games mentioned in this article so far present great examples of masterful game atmosphere, but here are some more for you to take inspiration from, or just to enjoy playing.

• Silent Hill – One of the most famous early examples of atmosphere in 3D gaming, the all-consuming fog turned technical limitations into a genius atmospheric choice.
• The Last of Us – In an era of arcade zombie games, Naughty Dog went for a slower more character-driven game, giving it a very impactful atmosphere.
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask – the younger brother of Ocarina of Time keeps players on edge and makes for a much gloomier and darker feeling entry to this usually-colorful series.
• Bioshock Series – The worlds of Rapture and Columbia ooze atmosphere. Though the settings couldn’t be more different, they both set the mood of the games perfectly through visuals, sound, story, and more.

These are only a few of the games that stand out most to me, and there are dozens of others that fit the bill. If you’re interested in learning more about adding atmosphere to a game one of the best places to start would be with the games you love.

Play them with a careful eye on what choices they make and why, and make notes on how you feel at certain moments, and how this feeling is achieved. With some careful planning and smart execution, your game may be ranked among these greats as well!

This article will discuss Kaboom.js in greater detail, who might be interested in creating a Kaboom game, and how you can create your very own Kaboom video game.

What is Kaboom.js?

Kaboom.js is a JavaScript library that allows you to create games quickly. You can use the library to easily create scenes, add layers, build sprites, handle actions and collisions, add key events, and so much more.

One of the great benefits of Kaboom.js is that it lets you dip your toe in game development. You do not need to be an advanced coding expert to get started. It allows you to test your coding skills without becoming demotivated or disheartened if something doesn’t work.

Unfortunately, many game development processes require you to read pages and pages of documentation, but Kaboom.js is so simple in comparison.

Who Would Be Interested in Kaboom.js?

Kaboom.js is perfect for anyone interested in game development, but specifically those relatively new to the concept.

While other game developers might be able to tackle detailed coding requirements or easily debug code issues using their knowledge, Kaboom.js makes all of this much simpler and offers a platform that makes game development accessible for novices.

Say goodbye to hours and hours of trying to identify the right link of code for a small in-game movement, and instead, focus on fast-action game design, creating games quickly and easily.

The platform is set up to allow anyone to try their hand at building their first game, and the discussion forum allows game designers to ask their peers for help or assistance on their game if they get stuck.

This is an excellent choice for any novice or underconfident game developer to try.

How to Build Popular Games on Kaboom.js

If you are looking for some inspiration on how to build a Kaboom video game, check out some of these examples of video game classics:

Flappy Bird

Flappy bird rose to prominence on the iPhone, and Android phones in the late 2010s, with players hooked on its combination of competition and casual gameplay.

The game’s concept is simple, click the mouse or tap the phone screen to flap the bird’s wings, keeping it in the air and avoiding obstacles.

There are no levels on Flappy Bird. Instead, the round continues until you eventually fail, and you get given a score.
This game is highly addictive and helped shape the mobile and desktop gaming landscape for the future.

How to build Flappy Birds

Zelda

One of the most beloved franchises of all time, Zelda is a well-known name in the gaming community across the world.

But what if you could make your very own Zelda game? Follow the instructional video linked below, and you can become Link and create your quest to save Princess Zelda.

You might even want to reverse the roles and make it, so Link needs to be saved for once.

How to build Zelda

Snake

An absolute classic. You haven’t lived if you didn’t experience Snake on a Nokia32 back in the day. Relive the good old days by creating your very own snake game, coding an ever-growing snake, and items for him to eat along the way.

How to build Snake

Asteroids

Head to outer space with the 1970’s gaming classic Asteroids. Rollback the years to when people played this game at their local arcade and recreate this timeless classic.

How to build Asteroids

Mario

Everybody’s favorite Italian plumber is back. Only this time, you create the story! Instead of following Mario through premade worlds that you might find too easy or too challenging, create your own Mario platformer.

You might even want to go a step further and get some of the other characters added in.

How to build Mario

Doodle Jump

Like Flappy Bird, Doodle Jump rose to prominence as a continuous platformer on desktop and mobile devices.

On Doodle Jump, your character is constantly bouncing, and you move him across the screen from left to right to land on a new platform, higher up than the last.

Be careful, though. As your doodle jumper reaches new heights, the platforms below will disappear.

How to build Doodle Jump

Pros and Cons of Using Kaboom

Kaboom focuses its attention on a few basic gimmicks which allow users to create fast-paced games of building and destruction. Unfortunately, questionable construction limits the program somewhat, but there is certainly some fun and creative opportunity on Kaboom.

The Pros

• Simple chaotic fun
• Genuine tension on both sides of the table
• Coloring makes blueprints easier to follow
• An excellent choice for new game-builders who are keen to learn more

The Cons

• Catapults don’t work as they should
• Limited variation of tower types
• If you use the wrong table, the game won’t be ruined

Who Would Benefit From Learning Kaboom?

Kaboomjs.com is a fantastic website for anyone trying their hand at creating a game from scratch for the first time. Perhaps you already have some coding experience in different fields, or maybe you have no experience, but you are looking for somewhere to start; Kaboom.js is an excellent option.

Beginners will benefit from a website that provides:

• Easy-to-follow guidelines.
• Handy tips and tricks.
• A forum full of other game developers to ask questions and get advice while building your Kaboom game.

While it might be a little tricky for beginners to get the hang of it. You’ll quickly come to realize that this is one of the simplest and easiest game development platforms to grasp.

If you input some incorrect code, don’t worry! The game will not break like on other game development platforms. Instead, you will be able to go into your code, tweak it until you are happy with the result, and move on to the next aspect.

Kaboom.js is the perfect platform for beginners and anyone who wants to improve their Javascript skills.

How to Get Started With Kaboom

Create Your Scene

The first thing you need to do is create your scene. In Kaboom, every action and reaction occurs within a scene. Consider the scene as the aspect of the game that controls how it behaves and what it will look like.

Start by creating a “main” scene, one to which you can add other components as you go.

Finally, you need to call the scene at the end, using start.

Load your Sprites and Create a Player

Once the scene gets set, it’s time to begin drawing your sprites. In-game design, a sprite is a term used for a two-dimensional bitmap. This bitmap is integrated into a bigger scene, often within a 2D video game.

Don’t worry. You can pull premade sprites from sites like Imgur.

To allow you to load your sprites our build your players, you need to call the load sprite method, input our sprite image information, and create the player within the scene.

If all of your coding is done properly, you should see your chosen sprite appear on your screen.

Once this occurs, right-click on the index.html file, select copy the path, and open it within a new browser.

In the new browser, you should add basic behavior for your sprite. You can do this by getting your initialized sprint and adding the body component.

This method allows your sprite to begin behaving normally, such as getting impacted by gravity, for example.

Once you have called this method, you will know it has worked, as your sprite will begin falling off the screen.

Kaboom Key Events

Next, it’s time to focus on Kaboom key events. Using the body method, you can provide your sprite with abilities like <move> and <jump>. You can call each of these body methods in combination with chosen key events to ensure your sprite shows even more interesting behavior.

Giving your sprite movement skills also helps them move through your level.

Common Kaboom Questions

Is Kaboom JS good?

The main benefit of trying Kabook is that it is easy to use for beginners, which makes it ideal for anyone who wants to try their hand at designing games.

How Do You play Kaboom?

Simply head to kaboomjs.com to get started with your game.

Kaboom Key Takeaways

In summary, Kaboom.js certainly has some kinks that should be ironed out. But this platform is an excellent starting point for any game-development fanatics.

If you are relatively new to coding and you want to try a coding platform that has easy-to-follow guides, discussion forums, and plenty of possibilities, then Kaboom.js is the right choice for you.

Before Unity Cinemachine, camera movement needed to be directly keyframed or, using code, had to be carefully scripted.

What Is Unity Cinemachine?

In short, Unity Cinemachine opens up an entirely new world of opportunities for animation, game design and development, and directors working with virtual cameras.

It’s critical to understand that Unity Cinemachine is meant for use with Unity’s Virtual Cameras, not real-world cameras, though the two can be combined in certain situations.

When using Cinemachine, you don’t need to know how to write code, though coding is still essential for some components, such as scripting how a user zooms using a mouse wheel, for example.

What’s even more exciting is that you can create complex behaviors using virtual cameras in a matter of minutes that once took hours or even days.

This can be ideal for cinematics who have been looking for a way to fully automate in game camera systems.

Before Unity Cinemachine, in order to follow the movements or even create different camera angles in the same scene, was a slow, painstaking process.

Not only would each movement have to be created, but it also had to be fine-tuned.

Now, though, Cinemachine introduces an entire suite of what they call “smart” camera modules, streamlining the process.

Cinemachine can do, with virtual cameras on your computer, what real camera operators can for a director on a set of a major motion picture. In fact, using Unity’s Cinemachine is like an army of camera operators at your disposal.

Who Would Be Interested in Unity Cinemachine?

Anyone who is a cinematographer, game developer, artist, or those who are using Unity as a means to create complex behaviors and who have no desire to learn or continue writing code or detailing keyframes day after day.

In short, the Unity Cinemachine is a game-changer. It completely transforms the landscape of game development, digital animation, and especially in-game camera systems.

Is There a Learning Curve to Cinemachine?

Of course. It’s the same as with any new technological development. However, the way that Unity has developed Cinemachine makes it streamlined, with a quick learning curve, and robust features that make it worth the investment.

What’s even better and why more people would likely be interested in using the Unity Cinemachine is it’s not a standalone software program but a plug-in. It plugs directly into Unity’s software and provides the opportunity to get started right away.

It is simple to install and provides a flexible system that allows you to control all your virtual cameras from the very beginning, from your initial setup to the full immersion of animation. It is designed to elevate the potential of Unity cameras without slapping a whole bunch of extra work on your shoulders.

Another great benefit that can be attractive to those seeking these advantages is it doesn’t interfere with your current workflow.

All of the components and behaviors that you have already worked out in whatever project you’re on at the moment will be retained without you having to do anything. This has long been the bane of creative minds whenever a new plugin or software upgrade has been developed.

You can even store cinematography data so it doesn’t need to be coded directly to the Unity camera you are currently using.

What If You Aren’t Using Unity?

Then Unity Cinemachine is not going to be useful for you, but if you are somebody who has been using a different system, or different software to create real-time 3-D experiences for games, movies, or other purposes, Unity truly elevates the creation experience to a whole new level.

Some of the top entertainment and gaming developers in the world are turning to Unity, which is why Cinemachine can be so exciting for those creative types. Also, the Unity camera is an essential aspect to be utilizing in order for Cinemachine to be useful.

Now, as long as we have gotten that out of the way, let’s look at a few quick examples of Unity Cinemachine in action.

Unity Cinemachine In Action

Cinemachine isn’t just for those using multiple cameras. This makes it different than other software plug-ins, and the power of Cinemachine lies in its ability to provide many different views with just one camera versus having to use multiple cameras.

This allows users to create a more fluid and seamless blend between all of those views. It also requires far less processing power than having many different cameras running at the same time.

One of the best, earliest, and clearest examples of Cinemachine in action comes from the now Emmy® Award-winning broadcast short, ‘Baymax Dreams.’ This was created by Unity in collaboration with Disney Television Animation. They won the Technology and Engineering Emmy® award for excellence and engineering creativity.

You can check out the behind-the-scenes regarding the development of “Baymax Dreams” using Unity and it’s a free plug-in, Cinemachine on this YouTube video here.

Here’s another example of full CGI film development using Unity and the Unity Camera and Cinemachine: Check out the video here on YouTube as well.

Pros and Cons of Unity Cinemachine

As with just about every software program you will find on the market around the world today, there are positives and negatives. The same holds true for Unity Cinemachine.

What you will find, however, is that the pros dramatically outweigh the cons, especially when you consider the amount of time that can be saved over coding and keyframing.

Let’s take a quick overview of some of the more positive aspects of the Unity Cinemachine plug-in.

Keep in mind that -in the past- game creators and developers were more focused on functionality, but now, thanks in large part to the addition of Cinemachine cameras, they can spend more time and energy on the entertainment aspect, especially the visual attention to detail than they could in the past.

Why We Love Cinemachine

Cinemachine is fast.

In other words, it is stable and fast, with the ability to launch the entire software program in a matter of seconds.

One of the common comments Unity users make, especially when it comes to adding Cinemachine as a plug-in, is that the program doesn’t seem to hang or lag, even when you have a number of experiments running, especially while importing assets.

Adding in many cameras, deleting or reimporting objects, using extremely high settings, and even lighting doesn’t seem to impact the functionality and performance of Unity.

The results look amazing.

Yes, in the past, Unity has come up a little short when it came to interior renderings. Now, though, with Cinemachine, these interior renderings are beginning to look absolutely stunning.

Of course, that all depends on what you are seeking to accomplish and the types of original footage you’re using as your baseline.

It’s easy to import files.

Some rendering programs complicate the process of importing files. However, Unity accepts FBX files, either in a binary version or in ASCII.

While other programs have a tendency to tinker with animations (meaning they can be altered inadvertently when importing), Unity doesn’t do that. It recognizes animations automatically.

Importing assets is not just accurate, it is quick. That is a huge plus when you’re talking about in-game development.

There are plenty of plug-ins to consider.

Yes, Cinemachine is a plug-in for Unity, but what makes this plug-in great for this platform is the fact there are many other plug-ins to choose from that can work seamlessly with Cinemachine.

You can expand editing functionality with a whole streamline of assets from the Asset Store, and when you incorporate Cinemachine into the mix, you have an incredible, robust set of tools at your fingertips which not only saves an incredible amount of time, but you can create stunning landscapes and amazing, smooth transitioning scenes for your audience or gamers.

Unity was originally built for game developers.

This might not seem like a big pro for animation designers and movie developers, but it is certainly a benefit for game developers.

That’s because when a program is developed with a specific audience in mind, they are focused on exactly what game developers want, need, and wish for.

With that in mind, Cinemachine is a feature-rich plug-in that was also designed with game developers at the forefront of their thoughts. While subsequent versions of Unity are incorporating more artist-friendly features, it is still, at its heart, a game engine.

Now, though, thanks to Cinemachine, there’s no more need to code or, at the very least, code a lot less.

There’s Always Room for Improvement

At the moment, there aren’t many negative aspects to Cinemachine, especially for seasoned veterans of Unity and the Unity camera. That being said, it doesn’t mean everything is perfect.

A bit of a learning curve.

As with any new software development or technology, there’s going to be a learning curve. While Unity’s developers have done a great job at streamlining Cinemachine to work seamlessly within the editor, it takes some getting used to.

This is especially true for those who have become accustomed to detailing keyframes or coding every camera angle and movement.

However, what you may lose in time during that learning curve, you gain in functionality and performance later on. Plus, most users become accustomed to the new features that Cinemachine delivers in short order.

Limitations on exporting.

This isn’t necessarily a problem for the Cinemachine, but Unity itself. You have to pay for extra plug-ins to export, for example, FBX meshes out of an engine. Even if you buy the plug-in that allows you to do this, you won’t be able to export animated cameras.

Again, this isn’t necessarily a problem with Cinemachine, but rather with Unity itself. Still, if you’re a beginner just diving into the Unity universe, it’s good to know, as is the next potential con.

As of yet, there is no distributed baking.

If this sounds like a foreign language to you, don’t worry. You will learn these terms in time the more you use Unity, a Unity camera, and Unity Cinemachine. This basically means you can only bake lightmaps using a single machine.

This limitation is likely to change as Unity developers are working on a solution.

For beginners, though, this is not something to be concerned about, at least not yet. And, ultimately, it is a minor bump in the road, especially when you consider how much you gain by using this plug-in.

Who Would Benefit from Cinemachine?

First of all, those currently using Unity (or who may be planning on using Unity in the near future). It’s a plugin designed specifically for Unity and to be used with Unity Camera.

It is an Emmy® Award-winning tool that offers a vast array of options for codeless cameras, allowing directors and cinematographers the option of capturing the best shots and angles, seamless transitioning in movement, and fine-tune, experiment, and create camera behaviors in real-time.

What does it mean to ‘create camera behaviors in real-time?’

In essence, up until Cinemachine, directors, and editors had to use keyframes and write code if they wanted to change the camera angle, have the camera move with the action, or create other behaviors like this.

It also requires extensive forethought and planning, rather than experimentation. Cinemachine allows Unity users to experiment, try different angles and movements, sweeping patterns without the time constraints of coding and entering keyframes constantly.

Cinemachine Is Especially Ideal for Game Developers

Not only does it speed up game development, since developers no longer have to focus on camera logic, but you can also now experiment on the fly with new ideas, prototypes, and all while saving those new settings in play mode.

Game developers can switch from 2D to 3D, from real-time play to cutscene, and from the traditional first-person shooter view to a camera that follows the action up close and personal.

Imagine being able to configure the Unity camera so it rotates automatically, maintaining your prime subject at any position within the screen space. Make adjustments seamlessly and streamlined like a professional game developer.

Another incredible feature that Cinemachine offers is the camera shake. This ‘impulse promote’ module offers a complete camera shake system. When you set up Impulse sources on specific objects, the camera will respond based on the scale and distance, using a six-dimensional shake that can be generated for the procedure or handcrafted for each instance.

Another great benefit for game developers is the split-screen and Picture-in-Picture mode. You can assign Cinemachine to any “Brain” or all of them, blending from a single shot to a split-screen and back again. For those who understand the complexities of game development, this is truly (pardon the pun) a game-changer.

When you want to make sure your prime subject is the right size on the screen, even when you are zooming in or out, it can be difficult to achieve. This usually requires keyframe definitions and coding, but not with Unity’s Cinemachine.

The camera will dynamically set the zoom so all of your subjects are the right size on the screen, no matter what you do with those scenes.

What happens when something gets in the way, gets between the character and the screen view?

With Clear Shot, a wonderful feature of Cinemachine, it automatically decides what is the best camera for that shot. This is great for replacements and cutscenes, especially those that have variable scenarios.

Now, though, Unity’s Cinemachine is ideal for film and video, too. It automatically seems to know exactly where to aim and focus. You can experiment with tracking, shaking, and dollies. It’s even possible to conduct post-FX in real-time.

Cinemachine seems to know exactly what you want your shots to look like and makes adjustments on the fly, even when performances change.

There are some incredible features, including Composer, which automatically composes the action, in much the same way that a camera operator would work in a real-life setting.

This allows cinematographers and directors to make a wide range of changes and still enjoy the benefits of the shot working as imagined. This is truly a revolution in preproduction and layout.

The Transposer provides a plethora of controls for cameras to follow the action. All you have to do is set up your shots and even if you change the performances, those shots will still work out in your favor.

Post-Processing can be done live, while each shot is taking place. You can even change the edit and color grading. When you blend shots on the Timeline, everything else in the scene gets blended, too. For those in the know, they understand this saves so much time that is worth the investment.

Cinemachine even offers lens packs that allow you to set a list of your favorite lenses as quick, easy-to-select drop-down menus. You can streamline each project by limiting focal lenses and lengths to a preset. This is much like what happens on the set of actual movie filming.

How to Learn Cinemachine

When you want to get started with Unity’s Cinemachine, you need to have a basic understanding of Unity itself. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume you have the basics down.

First, you’ll need to know how to get started, which includes keeping a transform in the shot, composing a shot, and following a transform.

Next, you’ll want to understand the track and dolly feature in Cinemachine, which includes adding a camera dolly with a track path, moving the camera using a track, and following a target automatically on a track.

Then, you want to learn how to create a state-driven camera system in Cinemachine. This includes learning how to control cameras with animation states and blending between camera states.

After that, it’s best to learn how to use the free look composition feature, which includes orbiting a transform, customizing player input, and adjusting composition at different stages of a rig.

Once you have learned that, the next step is to learn about Clearshot. This will provide you the ability to cut virtual cameras dynamically, prioritize shots, and customize shots.

After that, it’s about Post-Processing, and then Cinemachine 2D.

Helpful Resources and Videos

Here are a series of videos made available by Unity that can help you learn how best to use Cinemachine:

• Using Cinemachine: Getting Started
• Using Cinemachine: Track & Dolly
• Using Cinemachine: State Driven Cameras
• Using Cinemachine: Free Look
• Using Cinemachine: Clear Shot
• Using Cinemachine: Post Processing
• Cinemachine 2D

Common Cinemachine Questions

Is Cinemachine Part of Unity?

Yes. Cinemachine is a plug-in that’s made available specifically for use with Unity and the Unity camera. This is a powerful tool that can take hours, even days, or weeks of coding and keyframing and provide game developers, directors, producers, and editors of film and videos a chance to experiment on the fly and create smooth follow transitions using single or multiple virtual camera angles.

How do you set up a Cinemachine camera?

1. From inside Unity, choose the Unity menu, and select Cinemachine> Create Virtual Camera.
2. Use the Follow property and specify a GameObject to follow.
3. Next, Select the Look At property and dedicate the GameObject you want the Virtual Camera aimed at.
4. Once you’ve done this, customize your Virtual Camera as you want.

How do you use Cinemachine brain?

It is very easy to use the Cinemachine brain. Simply Add a Virtual Camera or any other Cinemachine object to your Scene and Unity adds a Cinemachine Brain component to the Unity camera automatically, if there isn’t one already in place.

How do you use Cinemachine code?

When you want to add code in Cinemachine, for example, to set a zoom feature when somebody uses the mouse scroll wheel, you will do so using C#.

How do you zoom in with Cinemachine?

There are many different ways to go about zooming in with Cinemachine, including activating a script, using two cameras to blend together, or turning on the close of the camera via a script.

Likewise, famous characters such as Mario, Master Chief, and Agent 47 have seen similar improvements from their earliest renditions. But how have these characters become so detailed? It’s all thanks to the advancements in 3D model texturing.

In this article, you’ll learn all about what it is, how it works, and how to get a job as a 3D texture artist.

What is a 3D Texture Artist?

A 3D texture artist is someone who creates digital textures that cover all of the objects in a 3D game. In basic terms, it’s a bit like painting a 3D sculpture. But instead of using a brush, you are first creating the paints themselves and then wrapping them around the sculpture using computer programs. It can seem pretty complicated, so let’s start at the beginning.

What is Texture?

What exactly is a texture? A texture is a color and pattern that covers an object. They’re created and painted in programs such as Zbrush, Photoshop, and Mari, and then placed over a material.

What are Materials?

Ok, that’s fine–so what exactly is a material? In-game design, a material is an image made of many different textures layered over top of it for each of the effects needed to complete the look of an object. These could be textures that work as lighting, gloss, shading, and so on.

First, all of the textures must be created, and then once they are placed onto an image and said image is ready to be wrapped around a 3d model, that image is considered material. In other words, everything you see in a video game is covered by countless textures, and each of those textures had to be created by a 3D texture artist.

After that, there are also two different styles of materials, PBR and Basic Materials.

PBR Materials

PBR, or physics-based rendering, is a material that is designed to change based on interactions with a changing environment or player actions. So if a bullet strikes an object, leaving a mark, or if there is an explosion nearby that singes the material, PBR’s are likely to be used.

In addition, PBR’s interact better with lighting, can be adjusted for rough and metallic materials, and generally are more versatile. These materials are great for games that have a more realistic tone.

Basic Materials

Basic materials are composed of colors and patterns, sometimes hand-painted, but don’t react to the environment. That doesn’t mean they aren’t useful, however. They’re great for use in games that don’t need to be as realistic, and where the materials are not expected to change.

Games with cartoonish or colorful art styles are well suited to them. Basic materials can still be quite impressive looking too, and using them can provide great practice for new texture artists.

How to Create Digital Textures

So now that you know what a texture artist is, how exactly are digital textures made? Generally, the artists follow a number of steps before the material is completed. Here is a quick rundown of what they’re expected to do.

Step 1: Finding Reference Textures

Texture artists don’t simply make up textures on the spot. Even if the world of the game is alien, fantastical, or just plain weird, the texture artist’s goal is to make the materials in the game world look as good as possible. For that, they need to find texture samples. This can be done either by looking at high-quality photos online or by researching the textures you need by taking your own photos.

As a simple example, let’s say the texture artist is tasked with making a brick wall. Maybe there’s a high-quality photo of a brick wall that can be found online, or perhaps there’s a brick wall in your neighborhood that would work great for this. Plus, it may not seem like it at first, but there is a wide variety of styles to consider.

A brick wall in a desert will look different than a brick wall in a smoke-filled street. How old is the wall? Would it be covered in moss? Will this wall change in any way as time goes on? Will it rain or snow? If so the artist may need several textures ready to go.

These are all things the texture artist needs to consider while finding their references. After that, they either use a scanner to scan the textures into a computer, or will use the references to build procedure-based materials.

Procedure-based materials are materials in which the computer generates all the textures that will go over them automatically. This is mostly meant to be experimented with and changed over time, as it’s a great way to show how a variety of pre-generated textures would affect a material.

Either way, 3D texture artists start out by doing a lot of research. Having a large library of references cataloged can save you time researching later on. In fact, most texturing artists will start work on their textures before the models they’ll be used on are even finished. The closer the materials are to completion, the less time actually texturing the models themselves will take.

Step 2: UV Mapping And Unwrapping

How do you take a flat texture and wrap it around a 3D object? Well, first you have to convert that object into 2D! 3D texture artists first receive the models they need to texture as gray, undetailed figures.

Picture just the shape of an apple with no color. An apple is circular and has a stem, so just placing a flat square texture on top of it right now would put the colors in strange places. Instead, the model is mathematically mapped out using a process called UV Mapping. It’s a little complicated, but essentially every point on the apple that acts as a vertice is marked, and covered in a mesh.

A mesh marks the major sections of a 3D object, covering the model in a net of triangles. This is so that the computer knows how to take the 3D shape and turn it into a flat 2D surface in a process called “unwrapping”. Each triangle on the mesh can be unfolded outwards until the whole thing becomes a 2D flat surface the artist can work on.

Sometimes the software can automatically unwrap an object, but most of the time the artist will choose to unwrap it by hand so that they can texture each individual part that they wish to. Then the UV map they’ve created can put it all back together again with the textures fully applied.

Step 3: Applying the Textures

Now that the 3D model has officially been unwrapped, it’s time to apply the textures that the artist has been working on. As they place textures onto the 2D surface, they will apply lighting and shading effects to see how it interacts with the textures. If the lighting and shading effects look off, so will the model. To test it out, they will apply different “mapping” to their textures.

For example, metallic texture mapping will allow the artist to select which parts of a model are metallic or not, and how shiny the metallic pieces are. This is important because metallic objects interact differently with light than non-metallic ones. Other maps include:

Base Color

This allows the artist to remove the finer details and see exclusively what colors are being applied to the model.

Normal Map

Shows everything applied at once, to see how all the different elements interact with each other.

Roughness Map

This allows the artist to select specific parts of a model that are rougher and thus will be less affected by lighting.

Glossiness

When light reflects off of something, how shiny is it? A brightly lit, well-polished marble floor texture might be very shiny, but a dirt road is significantly less so. This lets the artist change the gloss effect on a model.

There are many more that an artist might utilize in different situations, but these are the basics that every 3D texture artist should know of. Using these mapping techniques, the artist can apply multiple textures to the same model for different effects, and test out how the light and shading affect them. They can even hand paint various aspects of the model to provide even more details.

Becoming a Texture Artist

First of all, the position title can vary from company to company. The most common official titles of a texture artist are “3D Artist” and “Environmental Artist”. Technical artists may also work on textures.

In other words, game designers can take on a number of roles and specializations, but learning how to make materials and finish up digital models is important enough to spread into these branches. There is always work to be found for someone with a talent for making textures, whether it be for video games or the CGI used in television.

So how do you become one? Being a texture artist means not only being skilled in the art but having an understanding of a number of 3D modeling software. This means that there is some level of education required before you can really become one.

Salary, Education, and Software Tools

There is so much to know in order to do this career that it’s no surprise a 3D texture artist can expect a decent salary. On average, they make $37.00 an hour, or $72, 000 a year. But to become one will take a lot of experience. Having a degree in animation or graphic design is a must, as well as being fluent in the software UV, Maya, Zbrush, and Photoshop, as well as familiarity with game engines such as Unity and Unreal.

How To Develop Your Texturing Skills

The best way to get this texturing experience? Practice!

Try to make 3D assets, or even build a small playable level that shows off your texturing abilities.

Do you need ideas? I highly recommend checking out Textures.com, or Poliigon.com. These websites offer you a number of high-quality textures and materials for free. They’re extremely valuable websites when it comes to getting some practice on how texturing a model actually works.

On that note, you’ll need some 3D models to practice texturing on. Sketchfab.com offers a number of 3D models you can download to help with this. Once you’ve had a little practice texturing some pre-made models, you’ll have a much better understanding of what you’ll need to make your own.

Finally, there’s ArtStation, which proudly shows off textures and materials made by its community, as well as often showing the technical process that went into making them. Many of the creators there are members already working in the industry, but the website allows up-and-coming artists to submit their portfolios online, where fellow game designers can see them.

How to Get a Job as a 3D Texture Artist

Speaking of portfolios–in order to get a job as a 3D texture artist, you have two options;

• either apply for an internship at a game company; or
• build up a portfolio of your work and try to market yourself.

Applying for Internships

Internships are often offered as part of accredited colleges and university programs in partnership with game companies. So getting a degree in animation or graphic design can open that door for you. As for building a portfolio, this is a little harder but much more common.

Building Your Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of an artist’s greatest work pertaining to the job that they want. As part of the hiring process, you will be expected to show a portfolio of your work. It’s ok to have several different types of art to show off that you have skills in other areas, but the majority of your portfolio should be 3D textures and materials that you’ve created.

Be creative, and don’t be afraid if you have a few rejections. That just means you need more experience and will have to make even better work for your portfolio. Many of the designers on ArtStation are happy to offer advice.

You can also attend video game designer events, such as the Game Developers Conference to network yourself and meet fellow designers who can offer advice and training. It’s a great opportunity, but at the end of the day becoming a texture artist will come down to your own skill at making realistic-looking textures.

Is 3D Texturing a Fit for You?

3D model texturing is a difficult process, but absolutely essential to making a game. It’s become an inseparable part of video game design, helping game artists and filmmakers alike to create the most unbelievable creations; and make them seem believable.

Whether it’s making alien materials shimmer as if touched by real light, or creating digital walls that appear so porous you can imagine how they feel at a glance. The expectations are higher now than ever.

Game companies are always looking for artists who can make humans look so real you can see the patterns of their fingerprints or the pores of their skin. We’ve certainly come a long way from the days of Super Mario 64, and as 3D texturing sees even more commercial use, who knows how far the artists can take us?

In this article, we’ll go over some of the mistakes developers can make in the pursuit of making the worlds’ next great Age of Empire or Command and Conquer, as well as some crucial steps to make it happen.

Let’s begin with some basics. What exactly is a strategy game? Strategy game design in the simplest terms is all about crafting a decision-making contest, where one player’s use of available resources, positioning, and planning are pitted against those of another player or AI.

This entails more than just occasionally selecting from a list of dialogue options or changing equipment. The choices are deeper and require planning. Do I move my archer into the forest now to give them cover, or is that too close to the enemy? Should I use my resources to build a second town or to upgrade my town’s defenses now while I can?

In a strategy game, success is determined by every decision you make. Usually (though not always) played on a grid; they can be turn-based or played in real-time. But they all share one thing in common. Your wits are the greatest tool at your disposal.

So now you may be wondering, what makes a strategy game successful? By what criteria are they judged? I believe it boils down to three things.

High Risk vs High Reward

First, the high risk versus high reward decision making. In Civilization VI for example, early on after you have built the first settlement you are given a number of critical choices right away. There are ores to collect, areas to uncover, and plenty to build if you want to have the edge over your opponents.

The problem is that you will almost never have the time or resources to do all of the actions you want. You have to choose. Getting the ore right away could mean having more wealth than your opponents, but it could also leave you undefended. Any successful strategy game that has stood the test of time will be filled with choices like this.

Gameplay Loop

Second, an ever-changing gameplay loop. Two rounds of a good strategy game should feel completely different, even if you are a veteran player. Sometimes this means having some random elements, such as a changing map or changing the starting locations.

But even if the maps are consistent, how the players’ opponents act should be different enough to make each game feel completely unique. If the rounds begin to feel too similar, it’s only a matter of time before the player will stop engaging with your game.

Schemes

Third, Schemes. Nothing feels better in a strategy game than watching a plan come together. Watching your opponent lure their army directly firing range or finally taking over a territory you’ve been eyeing is extremely gratifying.

Of course, it wouldn’t be gratifying if it was easy, and learning the mechanics of the game and then mastering them to such a degree that you can overcome your opponents is what makes it fun. In an excellent strategy game, you couldn’t accomplish this by being lucky. Only through careful plotting could you push your forces to domination. This is a feeling that simply is not catered to in any other genre of video games

So now that we’ve established what a strategy game is, as well as what makes them great, here are a few tips to help you get started making your very own.

Make a Board Game First

Game design is an expensive and laborious process. But unlike a platformer or a Role-Playing Game (RPG), for a strategy game, a lot of prep work can be done before a single line of code is written. Strategy board games and strategy video games are both decision-making contests. In fact, many strategy video games began life as board games.

With simple tools such as pencils and paper, some cardboard cutouts, and a little imagination, you can create a rudimentary version of the video game you want to make for almost no cost.

So get a group together and playtest it. Make note of what works and what doesn’t. Tweak the factions or units that seem unbalanced, and playtest with them again. Draw up multiple maps and take note of the ones that stick with you and the other players. Most importantly, try to gauge how much fun everyone is having.

If your group isn’t pestering you about when the next play session will be, there is something wrong. The idea here is to save yourself time and money. If you have a firm grasp on how your strategy game works as a prototype, it will be easier to turn that prototype into a functional video game later.

Accept That Things Will Change

The planning will help, but all the planning in the world will not spare you from the realities of game design. Even if you followed the last step and made an undeniably fun board game, video games are still a different medium. Not everything that was fun during the prototype phase will work as effectively as a videogame.

In addition, anticipate that there will be content you will have to cut and focus on implementing the most important and fun aspects of your game first. Once that’s out of the way, it’s much easier to have an idea of how much effort it will take to add in the rest.

The Balancing Act

Balancing a strategy game is far more difficult than it would seem and is a problem any designer will have to face. But balancing does not mean you should force every game versus every faction or character to be completely even. No matter how hard you try, it will never happen, and perhaps shouldn’t.

Take the Starcraft series, a pioneer of real-time strategy games. In this game, players developed the Rush, Boom, and Turtle strategies that are still used in most Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games to this day.

To summarize, Rushers build their armies and attack quickly, causing problems for Booms, who prioritize building their economy and winning in the late game. But Turtles, who focus half and half on the building while having a small army, can counter the Rush players, but struggle against Booms.

If this system were completely balanced, Starcraft would boil down to a game of rock, paper, scissors. However, what makes Starcraft exciting is that a clever player can turn the tide and still win, even against an enemy using the strategy they are weak against.

The game is not completely balanced, and that’s alright. Smaller maps benefit the Rush players, who can reach their enemies quicker, but that makes overcoming them more satisfying. In other words, when balancing, don’t strive for perfection. Strive to make it interesting.

If sometimes the odds are tilted towards your opponents, it isn’t a problem as long as sometimes they will be tilted towards you as well, and as long as victory is still possible. The trick to balance a game and make it memorable for generations is this – too much balancing and the game is boring. Too little and it’s frustrating and unfair. Keep that in mind as you design your game, and try to find the right amount of balance.

In addition to this advice, here are a few common mistakes developers make when designing these games.

How Do I Play?

A major hurdle to designing strategy games that will appeal to a massive audience is that strategy games can be complicated. Designers can fall into a trap of putting so much effort into making their strategy games competitive, intense, and challenging that they forget it also has to be accessible.

You’ve planned out your game, you’ve worked hard to balance all of the playable factions or characters, you know all the rules by heart and can come up with dozens of strategies for any possible scenario. You know exactly how fun your game can be if you know how to play it.

The problem is, new players, do not know your game the way you do. If the first hour of gameplay is the equivalent of reading the manual of a board game, the player may lose interest before ever getting to see what your game is really like.

So what is the solution? The traditional answer is to have a tutorial where the rules are openly laid out and digestible. This isn’t exactly wrong, but how you approach the tutorial can make all the difference. Huge walls of text are intimidating. But holding the players’ hands too much is just as annoying.

The best approach I’ve found is to make the tutorial feel as much like the regular game as possible. Set up a tutorial scenario, offer up the basic controls and goal, and let your players experiment. In this scenario, complicated strategies such as the ones that will appear later should be possible for clever players, but not necessary to win. That way players can have an “Aha” moment, and figure out your game without even needing a wall of text.

You can drip feed the players more complicated game features as they progress, but it is crucial to allow the player some freedom in the first hour of gameplay. Do it right, and they will be having as much fun when they’re novices as they will when they finally become experts.

The Story Problem

Strategy games are not RPGs. While the lore and setting can add a distinct personality to your game world that will distinguish it from the crowd, the story is not as important to a strategy game as you might think. Designers who know and love their world well are eager to sell its story through a grand narrative campaign. But unfortunately, creating such a campaign will take a lot of time and plenty of focus, or in a worst-case scenario even most of it.

This can be the death knell for a strategy game because once the preplanned scenarios of the single-player campaign mode are finished, players might find there’s not much reason to come back. The time and resources are better spent polishing up the multiplayer experience, and creating new ways to enjoy the base game.

If the game is addictive enough, players will want to learn more about the lore and story on their own. In short, have the story and lore of your game in mind as you progress, but tread very carefully as they can become a dangerous distraction.

In summary, there is still plenty of room for the next great strategy game; their current popularity speaks to that. But creating it won’t be easy. It will have to be a compelling decision-making contest where every choice feels important and valuable. To be remembered well into the future it will have to be tightly balanced, but not to the point of being restrictive.

In short, strategy video games are not going anywhere but making a great one that players will never forget will take just as much strategy as the game itself.

Luckily, there are quite a few different outlets out there to hone your tech skills. A learning company called Zenva Academy is quickly becoming a heavy-hitter for quality coding and technological teaching.

Zenva Academy

First off, yes, Zenva Academy is legit. Whether it’s good or not, depends on you entirely. When learning online, everyone is different. Some people are strictly visual learners, and they need video lessons and things planned out step by step. Others only learn well by doing.

Zenva Academy blends all of these different learning styles to create an accommodating service for those curious about specific technological skills.

It emphasizes that the best way to learn is by doing, and it really puts that to the test in many of the courses.

Courses Offered

All of the courses cover the main areas of tech. They are data science, machine learning, artwork, web development, game development, and mobile development.

Let’s check out some courses in some of these areas, along with some costs.

Python Mini-Degree

This mini-degree introduces applicants to the popular programming language, Python. Throughout eight major lessons, curious coders will become extremely familiar with data science, machine learning, and coding for games and apps.

RPG Academy

Through on-demand access to high-quality video lessons, projects, and course code, RPG Academy is pretty impressive. Zenva claims that RPG Academy is the “world’s first on-demand curriculum designed to teach ANYONE how to code and build impressive 2D and 3D RPGs with Unity.”

Coding 101 Bundle – Programming Essentials

This free course on web development gives you all you need to know about programming. This is the perfect class for a student who isn’t sure about committing a full year’s payment. It also gives you a solid chance to see if you can benefit from the course materials.

You can even get a certificate upon completion.

Price Model

Zenva Academy uses a subscription method of price modeling. Depending on when you sign up, you could take advantage of a nice little discount. It can be expensive for some students, especially if you only want to learn from one or two courses.

However, there are also free courses. This is great, as it introduces you to their learning model, what you can expect from their mini-degree courses, and more.

Zenva vs. Udemy

Let’s compare Udemy and Zenva and see what each site offers, lacks, and how they stack up against each other.

Instructors

With Zenva, you have a few instructors that teach many courses. This is a good thing, as these are well-vetted and accomplished professionals.

Not to knock Udemy in this regard, but you could technically become an instructor right now. Okay, maybe there are a few more steps to becoming one. But overall, Udemy suffers from a lack of quality control.

Money

This one is a bit difficult. Zenva has a relatively flat subscription fee for all of its courses. While perhaps too much money for people to commit to, you can find a course on Udemy in the same subject for astronomical amounts of money.

However, it can swing the other way too. You can find much cheaper courses on Udemy sometimes. We’re talking $10 courses. So price-wise, Udemy has more freedom but much more unpredictability.

With Zenva Academy, its price is relatively stable. It depends on what you’re willing to commit to financially. Overall, the Zenva pricing offers more bang for your buck.

Courses

Udemy’s freedom with instructors and prices also gives it some advantage with its courses.

Udemy offers some great, up-to-date coursework. However, with the freedom instructors have over their curriculum, it’s hard to know if what you’re learning is truly current or even relevant.

With Zenva Academy, their courses are painstakingly kept up to date. They release free updates and edits to their courses and keep students informed in whichever way they can.

Who Has Better Variety?

This is where Zenva Academy falls short. Udemy is known for its exceptionally diverse set of online learning courses. You can learn everything from piano to data analytics. Udemy is great for various skills that you want to explore, and it’s an excellent outlet for curious students.

With Zenva Academy, the coarse variety is rather one-note. However, this is by design, as they focus on tech and tech-related fields. They don’t claim to be like Udemy in that regard. You can arguably get a better online learning education in data science and web frameworks.

So, between Udemy and Zenva, the latter has a more detailed specialization for a more steady price. Udemy has more course variety but a lower standard for instructors and course quality.

Final Thoughts on Zenva Academy

While sites like Udemy offer many exciting courses through online learning platforms, Zenva is a robust data science and technological Bootcamp. Gain tech skills and access the different resources that an educational company like Zenva Academy can offer.

If you don’t want to commit financially to Zenva Academy, they offer some solid courses completely free. Particularly ones in the web development section. Check out some more reviews on Youtube or around the web.

You can quickly sign up for a Zenva account right on the home page.

You’re making your way through a level when all of a sudden, an enemy comes out of nowhere and attacks—pretty standard stuff.

However, this time, the enemy kills you in one hit. A single hit from a weaker enemy takes your health down to zero and transports you back to the beginning of the level.

What happened? Was it the lack of skill of the gamer player? Or something more?

While some may cry out, ‘Get good!’ there’s an actual term for this: artificial difficulty.

History

Also known as fake difficulty, artificial difficulty is when a game’s mechanics make the game more difficult in different ways.

The Dark Souls games are notorious for this. While some people welcome the unforgiving game design, others become enraged from the unfair challenge.

However, it didn’t start with the Souls series. Some very first instances of challenging titles and game modes date back to the heyday of arcades.

Since arcade machines required the player to insert an amount of money to play the game, what better way to get more bang for your buck as a game developer than ramping up the game’s difficulty? Making a game harder allowed for more profits, but it also incentivized gamers to try to best one of the most challenging arcade games.

There’s a debate to be had between whether artificial difficulty is a good thing or not. While it can make successes sweeter, it makes failures hurt even more.

There are two schools of thought. Some welcome the extra challenge, even if the game uses design methods to dominate the players. The others, arguably the majority of players, don’t enjoy this form of challenge. They play games to have fun, not to feel like the AI is cheating.

Different Types of Artificial Difficulty

There are a few types of video game artificial difficulty. For the arcades, the profit motive was enough to make games a source of frustration for thousands of gamers.

Others relish in having a hard mode, putting skills to the test. Let’s see what types of artificial difficulty you can find in many games.

• Different difficulty modes, where enemies simply have higher damage output and the player is weaker.
• Clunky or awkward controls to purposely make the player wrestle with controls, let alone complete a level without dying.
• No checkpoints. Nothing hurts more than making it to the end of a level, dying, and getting sent back to the very beginning. Especially in a tough-as-nails game.
• Punishments on losing, like losing gold, permadeath, or other unfair game tweaks.

Drawing the Line

So what exactly is the dividing line between artificial difficulty and an actual hard game?

You can easily discern between a legitimately challenging game and a game with artificial difficulty in a few ways.

A game that emphasizes artificial difficulty will disregard whatever you do. No matter how much good gear you have or grinding for XP you’ve done, it will always find a way to slap you down at any and every opportunity.

However, a challenging game rewards you for the hard work and learning you put into the game. While games may have a steep learning curve, with high damage and perilous quests around every corner, you can overcome them with skill and dedication.

So where do games like Dark Souls, Bloodbourne, and Sekiro fall? Well, it depends on who you ask. It may fall somewhere in the middle. By the end of these titles, you have the mechanics down, and you’re able to take a lot of frustration out of the experience.

Conclusion

Failure hurts. So when you try to relax with a good video game at the end of the day, the last thing you need is to get pulverized by Dark Souls’ two nightmare bosses, Ornstein and Smough.

However, there is a difference between fake or artificial difficulty and a genuinely challenging game. Mastering demanding games can indeed be an art and can help you feel accomplished for learning something with a challenge and overcoming it.

Luckily, there are reviews, walkthroughs, forums, blogs, and more to help you discern between the two. Don’t let artificial difficulty ruin your fun.

Unless that is, you like that type of thing.

Introduction

Video games have been known to have some of the most breathtaking modern visuals in any medium, only rivaled by technological advances in film.

Although seemingly being debated all the time, we firmly believe that video games are art. I mean, the whole thing is made up entirely of art. Well, okay, it’s a little more nuanced than that, but we stick by our positions.

Video games have become such an intimate and creative art form medium to communicate messages, stories, and symbolism to the player.

What Is 2D Art?

2D art is simply art that isn’t 3D. It’s a bit broad and covers the majority of art styles. For example, an oil painting of people on canvas is a form of 2D art.

Same with a picture.

Unless forms of drawing or painting in which the artist is actively trying to simulate 3D perspectives, all of them are 2D art. Other forms of 2D art are cartoons, and of course, certain video games.

If depth is added to a painting, it then transforms from merely two-dimensional art to 3D art. The same goes for game design.

2D Game Art Styles

Since there is such a variety of games on the market, it only makes sense that there is also a slew of different 2D game art styles to examine. Here are just some of the most prolific 2D game art styles in game design.

Pixel Art

2D pixel art has always been popular. While at one point it was all that games were able to process in terms of graphical power, 2D pixel art is still wildly popular today. It wasn’t only included in video games. In fact, 2D pixel art predates the invention of the video game by quite a number of years.

2D pixel art goes further back in time than the first video game by centuries. Some first prominent examples of the 2D pixel art process were mosaics crafted on the walls of ancient cities. The tradition continued steadily for years until the present day.

Outside the gaming world, 2D pixel art can be found everywhere. Examples include posters, pegboards with plastic beads, Lite Brite, and the very first digital image by Russell Kirsch. The image, a portrait of his son, Walden, was made up of 30,976 pixels.

2D Pixel Art Today

However, this was a long time ago. You may be more familiar with 2D pixel art making up the 8-bit or 16-bit graphics of games like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy VI, Mega Man, and more. The very first example of 2D pixel art in game design is in Atari’s Pong.

2D pixel art, along with being made up of individual pixels, makes its way to your gaming monitor in the completed form of game sprites. Sprites are bitmaps that are combined to create a larger product like a character or environment.

2D pixel art is a favorite game design tool for a number of studios. It creates a retro-style feeling to a modern game. A great example is Hotline Miami. A modern-style game drenched in retro style and vibrant 1980s colors.

Cel Shading, also known as ‘toon shading’, is a game design technique where the designers manipulate the shading in an image to make it appear flatter. A creative mix of lighting, shading, and color makes visuals seem truly unique.

Not only that, but cel-shaded games seem to hold up visually better than other games. For example, Jet Set Radio still looks creative and timeless, while games released at the same time have graphics that now seem like eyesores.

Cel Shading Today

Talented illustrators, designers, and artists put in a lot of time and effort to create this truly unique, timeless 2D game art style.

You may be familiar with some famous examples of cel-shading, namely the art styles in Team Fortress 2, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Viewtiful Joe, and Jet Set Radio. There are even more modern titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Wii U and Nintendo Switch. Cel shading isn’t unique to just game design. The 2006 film, A Scanner Darkly, used cel-shading in the entire movie, giving it a unique color and lighting style.

The very first entirely cel-shaded game was Fear Effect, released in 2000.

Realism

Realism is probably what you’d expect. The realism art style focuses on creating extremely real-looking, high-resolution images. The main aim of realism in the arts is to create and represent images with all the truthful aspects of the image.

For example, in a realist painting or drawing, the artist would possibly implement things like blemishes on someone’s skin, rather than omit them from the drawing. This creates a striking vision, especially in games.

With game art and graphics developing at a rapid pace, most game models and characters, depending on the game, have a realistic flair reminiscent of the realism art movement.

Flat

Flat game art is exactly that: flat. It is similar to geometric art, however, it’s not as simplistic. Flat art overlaps with different art styles, namely pixel art. It’s a quintessential 2D game art style, as it puts the emphasis on the flat and simple aspects of the background, enemies, characters, and other content.

A great example of a ‘flat’ game is something like Kentucky Route Zero.

Geometric

Geometric art deals primarily in shapes. While they don’t necessarily need to be simple shapes, geometric game art puts a great emphasis on shapes in its game world. In games like Geometry Wars, players control literal geometric shapes by shooting at other very simple geometric shapes.

The same goes for more retro titles like Asteroids and Pong. Dungeons in old RPGs used to just be rudimentary geometric squares and rectangles. Some great samples of geometric games are titles like Geometry Wars, Pac Man, Asteroids, Pong, and the platformer, Super Meat Boy.

Vector

Vector game 2D game art is a favorite amongst game designers. The user interface, GUI, characters, environment, and more are all made using polygons. Think of it as a unique mixture of geometric modeling and pixel art. A favorite feature of vector art is its amazingly high resolution and graphical capability.

Some notable examples of vector game art are The Banner Saga, and Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective.

Cutout

Cutout 2D game art is an art style mainly found in stop motion animation. However, some games have utilized an extremely unique style. Namely, the Paper Mario games.

The design of the Paper Mario games, you guessed it, gives the impression that the characters and game world are all crafted with paper. It gives a unique and striking depth to shapes, settings, items, and more.

Monochromatic

Monochromatic, ‘mono’ meaning ‘one,’ and ‘chroma’ meaning ‘color,’ you can see where this is going. Monochromatic game art is when graphics, backgrounds, designs, and settings are all one hue.

For example, in Limbo, everything is gray and black. This creates a unique setting where lighting, depth, and mood all intersect to create patterns, effects, and contrasts that puts emphasis on ambiance and other emotions like fear and hope.

Some great examples of the monochromatic approach in video games are titles like Limbo, Inside, and Return of the Obra Dinn.

How to Create 2D Game Art

Now that we know a little more about the intricacies of 2D game art, let’s see exactly where and how you can create your very own designs. We’ll include various resources, services, assets, software, and design tutorials.

But First, Some Game Assets

Assets are the objects and miscellaneous aspects that populate your game. For example, a sound effect when a car explodes is an asset. Characters, buildings, and other aspects of the game world are assets. Game UI like the HUD, health bars, ammo counts are other great examples of assets.

That’s why you want to get your hands on the very best game designer assets you can. There are of course 3D assets, but for this purpose, we’ll explore some of the best 2D assets you can get a hold of. Keep in mind that there are both paid and free game assets. We’ll show you our current favorite free resource.

Open Game Art

Open game art is just that: open and free. It’s a fantastic website chock-full of great, free assets for any level of a designer to take advantage of. Not to mention a great alternative for paying for assets, especially when starting out.

There are things like free medieval tilesets, free textures, sprites, and more. If you want to tap into your inner RPG maker, we might recommend the following asset packs:

• Lots of free 2d tiles and sprites by Hyptosis
• Whispers of Avalon: Grassland Tileset
• The Field of the Floating Islands
• 700+ RPG Icons

Of course, these tilesets and sprites have great reviews and the site also has a great community of artists to interact with. While there are many other free resources for sprites and tilesets, this is our favorite site for acquiring quality content.

2D Game Art Programs and Tutorials

GIMP

GIMP is a fantastic free program that can give you a great start in 2D game art design. It has tons of information, documentation, and resources to allow you to create simple and complex drawings and paintings. This is easily one of my favorite design programs and services out there right now.

You can download GIMP for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Inkscape

Inkscape is a drawing program and a great, free design tool. It has a ton of options in terms of object manipulation, drawing detail, brushes, pencils, rendering, node editing, and text tools. Like GIMP, it’s a great learning tool for aspiring artist. It will give you the experience to increase your skills and maybe even start making art for a game.

Next stop, Steam Greenlight!

Adobe Photoshop

The undisputed king of photo and image manipulation, Adobe Photoshop has rightly earned its reputation as the premier art editing program. While Photoshop aims to help you enhance and edit photos, you can easily manipulate and create your own images, render models, and more. It may take some learning, as it isn’t the easiest program for beginners, it’s well worth the time and effort poured into it.

Unfortunately, Photoshop isn’t free. However, you definitely get what you paid for, as you get access to great tools and services for creating game art, both 2D and 3D.

YouTube Tutorials

What better way to learn how to start your 2D game art journey than through visual learning? There are some fantastic services through different YouTube users. Let’s list a few great examples of our favorite video tutorials.

• How to Make Stylized Flat-Color 3D Game Art in One Minute
• How To Get Started Making Game Art!
• 5 Steps To Making A Gorgeous 2D Game

Wrapping Things Up with 2D Game Art

Now that you know a little more about the rich history and process of 2D game art within the medium, you yourself can approach creating your own game art. Whether it’s cartoons, zombies, or medieval knights, choose what game art style that meshes well with you.

Make sure you study the different aspects of 2D game art, like realism, pixel art, and cel-shading, to find the best process for you. Sure, it’ll most likely be a challenge, but if you become an art student or game designer in your free time, you can accomplish great things. Especially with some resources, we listed.

Why not explore your options in HTML5? That’s right, and you can still make some great games using HTML5. No Python or SQL necessary. How do you do it?

Through Phaser. To use Phaser 3, all you need is a web browser.

The Phaser 3 Basics

Using the surprising power of HTML5, you’re able to create different game titles complete with a library of sprite sheets, game physics, and input control.

History of The Phaser Process

Phaser was first released in 2013 by Richard Davey. It uses a site, Pixi.js, to be its rendering library. This essentially means that the game is self-contained. It’s never compiled, meaning that it needs a web browser to even start.

The 4 Main Parts of Phaser in Games

Scripts

Games native to Phaser 3 only need JavaScript to get started.

Animation

Animating in Phaser 3 is as easy as uploading your sprite sheet of choice and then creating various animations.

Physics

There’s no need to get confused over physics. Phaser 3 already uses Arcade Physics built right into its framework.

Render

All the rendering takes place on a website, Pixi.js, and uses WebGL. This allows the game never to compile, requiring you to merely boot up an Internet browser to start playing.

Getting Started with a Game in Phaser.js

PhaserJS or Phaser JavaScript is an excellent mixture of both HTML5 and JavaScript. It’s actually pretty easy to get things moving. First, you need to download a zip file containing the application programs and files. There’s no code, however, so get those scripting muscles ready.

Later, you’ll become familiar with game states. These are the main phases of the game. There are three different states.

Menu

This is your main title screen. Nothing really happens here, and it serves more as a placeholder or transitional state until you access the game.

Game

This is where all of the action takes place. You control your character, whoever or whatever they may be, and complete your objectives in-game.

Game Over

The game over the state is when you fail to achieve your goal through several different methods. We all know we get a game over if we run out of lives, so this game state shows the classic game over screen. This is connected to the Game state, as the Game state starts back up when you click through.

Phaser 3 and It’s Journey

Richard Davey has been tirelessly working on newer, better iterations of Phaser. It’s now up to the third stable version, Phaser 3. This was released in April 2020. Richard Davey is currently working on the next version of Phaser, Phaser 4, to modify the 2D framework using TypeScript.

Conclusion

If you’ve always wanted to mess around with HTML5 and create a simple game, Phaser 3 is a fantastic option. It allows you to get some coding experience without all the hassle of straight-up learning an entire coding language.

Richard Davey has created a concrete way to develop 2D games through this framework. Hopefully, we’ll not only see future versions of the Phaser model but of innovations as well.